the sept-Îles port authority · 9/4/2000 · port of sept-Îles’ land-use plan may 2000 5...

Sept-Îles Port Authority

Land-Use Plan

Project

May 2000 (Addendum September 4, 2000)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. THE SEPT-ÎLES PORT AUTHORITY

2.1 Legal Aspect

2.2 Vision and Mission

2.3 Board of Directors

2.4 The Port’s Ranking on the World Scale

2.5 Socio-Economic Impact

3. MANAGEMENT POLICY

3.1 The Terminal

3.1.1 Transportation of Merchandise

3.1.2 Transportation of Passengers

3.2 The Community

3.3 The Environment

3.4 Financing

4. DEVELOPMENT PLAN

4.1 Consolidation and Layout of Infrastructures

4.2 Orientations by Sector

4.2.1 Urban Sector

4.2.2 Pointe-Noire Sector

APPENDICES

Article 48 of the Canada Marine Act

Urban Sector

Urban Sector (Details)

Pointe-Noire Sector

Port of Sept-Îles’ Land-Use Plan May 2000 1

1. INTRODUCTION

This Land-Use Plan is being presented by the Sept-Îles Port Authority as

stipulated in Article 48 of the Canada Marine Act (Appendix 1).

A Land-Use Plan is based on objectives and policies pertaining to the

physical lay-out of buildings, the management of which has been

entrusted to the Sept-Îles Port Authority. This plan takes under

consideration applicable social, economic and environmental factors as

well as zoning regulations pertaining to surrounding lands.

This document presents:

the structure of the Port of Sept-Îles

its management policies

and its development plan

The Canada Marine Act allows for a 60 day consultation period, during

which time a public meeting is held to give people the opportunity to

express and discuss their opinions.

After it has been made aware of the public’s opinions and observations,

the Port Authority may adopt its Land-Use Plan.

2. THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

2.1 Legal Aspect

On May 1, 1999, the Port of Sept-Îles was officially recognized as a

Canadian Port Authority, under the new Canada Marine Act. This new law

overrode the Canadian Ports Corporation laws and gave the Port of Sept-

Îles the right to its own Board of Directors made up of businessmen from

the region.


2.2 Vision and Mission

The Port of Sept-Îles ranks second in Canada for tonnage of bulk solids

handled. In the long term, the Port of Sept-Îles intends to consolidate its

position and become the most important centre for the transhipment of

solid bulk cargoes in Eastern Canada. The main elements derived from

the Port of Sept-Îles’ mission, confirm its role as a local and regional

development agent that favours the arrival of major industries that are

attracted by the leadership and the economic aggressiveness displayed by

the region.

The Sept-Îles Port Authority’s mission is to remain an important

development agent by maintaining a partnership approach to offer

functional installations and deliver efficient services that maximize the

natural advantages provided by the Bay of Sept-Îles.

The Port intends to use all the necessary resources at its disposal in order

to attain its mission while continuing to respect the environment. Emphasis

will be placed on:

client services,

involvement in the milieu,

and its obligations to its shareholders.

2.3 The Sept-Îles Port Authority

The Authority ensures the management and maintenance of

infrastructures, buildings and equipment belonging to the Port of Sept-Îles.

Furthermore, it manages all development and construction projects.

The Port’s equipment and infrastructures are utilised by its clients or

specialized cargo-handling and stevedoring companies. The Port Authority

manages and coordinates a complete array of quality services offered to

maritime carriers and local users of the facilities.


The Port of Sept-Îles is proud to have a highly functional workforce and a

proven efficient work structure. Dock Worker Unions have also played a

key role in the Port’s reputation.

In its efforts to develop and optimize the Port’s considerable development

potential as well as the many important natural resources of the region,

the Sept-Îles Port Authority, along with its social and economic partners,

continues to promote the Port throughout the world.

2.4 The Port’s Ranking on the World Scale

The region ranks high on the National scale by order of importance

because of the nature of its economic activity and its role as a transit

handler of certain imported or exported products.

As an exporting region, the North Shore plays an equally important role on

the international level. Add to this its ideal location at the entrance of the

St-Lawrence seaway which is at the crossroads of North American and

European shipping lanes as well as its year-round accessibility and the

interest it generates is easy to explain. The Port ranks second in Canada

for tonnage handled, 80% of which is intended for international markets.

The Port of Sept-Îles ranks at the top of the North Shore region’s

economic plans and is a major player in its development. It has all the

characteristics of a super port; with its deep water harbour and semi-

circular bay 8 to 10 kilometers in diameter; it is considered one of the most

important ports on the Eastern Seaboard.


Figure 2.1, Sept-Îles on the globe


Sept-Îles is an ideal port of call for ocean going vessels up to 300,000 tons

as they can safety load and offload their cargo 12 months of the year. The

entrance to the bay is 2,500 m wide and over 50 m deep. This allows even

the biggest vessels to access the deep portion of the bay without any

assistance from tugboats.

Courtesy of the Iron Ore Company of Canada


The Port of Sept-Îles mainly ships solid bulk products, but it is capable of

handling all types of merchandise: containers, liquid bulk cargoes, general

products, etc. Over the past ten years, the Port has handled an average of

22 million tons of merchandise per year. This tonnage represents

approximately 700 ships each year. In 1977, the Port of Sept-Îles reached

its peak at 35 million tons handled.

Iron ore is the main product handled and although the industry suffered

dramatic reductions in the eighties, it has been making an economic

comeback over the last ten years. Iron ore is shipped at the Iron Ore

Company of Canada’s own private installations and at the Wabush Dock,

the Port’s public terminal.

Furthermore, because of its particular characteristics, the Port has been

the leading site in the world on several occasions in terms of the

transhipment of merchandise. Such events include coal transhipments

from vessel to vessel, the stabilisation trials for the offshore drilling

platform, the Petrobras, and the loading of the platform onto a barge

destined for Venezuela.


Because of its strategic position, the Port is an essential transit point

where ocean-going vessels can transfer their cargo to the North American

Fleet serving the Great Lakes network. Whether it is ship to ship coal

transfers, loading through the new bulk terminal at Pointe-Noire, the

loading of Havre-St-Pierre ilmenite or the loading of sugar, transportation

costs are a determining factor which makes the Port of Sept-Îles an

interesting prospect.

The Port of Sept-Îles manages two public terminals and two private

terminals owned by IOC. The Pointe-Noire Terminal which is not exploited

to its full potential, has become the backbone for future development

because of its exceptional characteristics such as:

its soil bearing capacity,

its draft,

its location in an industrial site without surrounding agriculturally

zoned areas,

the availability of hydro-electric power,

available services,

and the low level of environmental impacts.


2.5 Socio-Economic Impact

The Port of Sept-Îles has been serving the mining industry in Quebec and

Labrador for over forty years and it has also been the centre for the

shipment of iron ore products. Although iron ore represents 90% of all

tonnage shipped, it only accounts for 10% of the Port’s revenues.

Over and above its important product exportation role, the Port is a major

supplier to industries and creates approximately 4,000 direct and indirect

jobs in the region. All of these transactions generate economic annual

revenues in the order of one billion dollars per year.

The Port of Sept-Îles is at the heart of the region’s economic

development.

The development and consolidation of its infrastructures places it in a

leadership role that is essential to the economic future of the region.

3. MANAGEMENT POLICY

The Port Authority’s objectives and policies regarding plans for its

infrastructures take into consideration social, economic and environmental

factors in addition to the zoning regulations of neighbouring lands. On this

basis, the Port has plans to consolidate the city’s urban area and develop

the industrial sector of Pointe–Noire.


3.1 Terminals

3.1.1 The Transportation of Merchandise

The principal vocation of the Port of Sept-Îles is the transportation of

merchandise. As part of its mandate, the Port must ensure the

efficient management of existing services and maximise their usage

through a dynamic promotion campaign on both the domestic and

international front.

The Port also has the mandate to increase volumes and diversify its

traffic through the introduction of a railcar ferry service and the

development of a more functional bulk product terminal in terms of

services. These projects would attract and satisfy a more diversified

clientele while respecting environmental norms.

Maintaining this perspective, urban area consolidation activities also

take into account the surrounding areas and community constraints.

With the addition of only a few installations for transporting bulk, the

vast majority of activities will be oriented towards services.

The industrial vocation of the Pointe-Noire Sector will continue to

progress with the development of the bulk terminal and the activities

planned will improve services for existing clients as well as meet the

needs of promoters who are attracted by the economical advantages

of a secure super port operating all year round.

The Sept-Îles Port Authority is consolidating its existing installations

in the urban sector and developing a bulk terminal in the Pointe

Noire area adapted to the needs of its present clients, all the while

allowing for the expansion of transhipment activities for both

domestic and international commerce.


3.1.2 The Transportation of Passengers

Whether travelling by air or boat, the City of Sept-Îles is a crossroad

for passengers travelling to and from the Lower North Shore or

northern Quebec. Historically, Sept-Îles has been the point of transit

for both passengers and merchandise and every week a vessel

travels the Lower North Shore to cater to the various villages. There

are also daily flights serving this same population.

The North Shore has one of the highest concentrations of Innu

population in Quebec. This attracts many tourists from abroad eager

to visit our wide open spaces and experience the well-preserved

Montagnais culture in our region.

In collaboration with the Native community, the Port of Sept-Îles is

examining the possibility of implementing cruise line services to

give visitors from other continents the opportunity to share the

lifestyle of the Native people.


3.2 The Community

Photo by Sylvie Guignard, the Sept-Îles Tourist Corporation

The growth of the City of Sept-Îles is attributed to its port activities, first

with the fishing industry and later with the iron ore mining industry. In the

eighties, we witnessed a drop in the mining business, the diversification of

economic activities, and the consolidation of tourism and recreational

infrastructures in the community.

A boardwalk along the bay of Sept-Îles, a marina, a fishermen’s wharf and

a winter dry dock have all been installed to better meet the needs of the

community.

On last May 1, when it was registered as a Canadian Port Authority

managed by a regional Board of Directors, the Port of Sept-Îles became

much more autonomous, now able to serve as an indispensable tool in the

promotion of regional, economical and social development.


Aware of its social responsibilities and of the importance of the tourist

industry on the economic development of the area, the Port Authority

has decided to integrate these aspects through the consolidation of its

infrastructures in the urban sector.

All urban sector tourism and community projects stretching from the

Old Dock to the Mgr Blanche dock, have been integrated into the

Mgr Blanche passenger terminal project.

3.3 The Environment

All of the Port of Sept-Îles’ projects and activities are conducted in

conformity with environmental laws and regulations and in respect of the

community.

An environmental audit of port activities and installations conducted in

1998 identified certain shortcomings. Since the audit, users have been

informed of the results and, in the majority of situations, corrective

measures have been implemented, or shall be in the near future. This

dossier is being closely monitored by the Port Authority.

The consolidation of activities in the Urban Sector and the construction of

a bulk terminal at Pointe-Noire will also contribute to improving existing

practices and ensuring a greater protection of the environment.

As part of these projects, the Port has implemented a compensation

program in collaboration with the Sept-Îles Environmental Protection

Corporation.

For the Port of Sept-Îles, respect for the environment and the

community are an integral part of the development and

management of its activities.


For all new projects, the Port Authority intends to continue working in

association with the community and assume its environmental

responsibilities.

3.4 Financing

By virtue of the Canada Marine Act, the local port authority must be

financially autonomous and always remain so. The Port of Sept-Îles is

financially autonomous. It generates annual revenues in the order of 8

million dollars. These revenues allow the Authority to finance its

development projects with local banking institutions.

These revenues further allow the Port of Sept-Îles to cover its

operating costs as well as finance its development projects.

4. DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Sept-Îles benefits greatly from its strategic location and maritime

accessibility to Europe and North America. Situated at the mouth of the St

Lawrence, its deep water port is ideal for the economical shipping of bulk

cargoes by some of the world’s largest ships.

The availability of natural resources and economical electrical energy

make Sept-Îles a location of choice for receiving raw materials and other

products from Europe that are critical in the determining production costs.

4.1 Consolidation and Layout of Infrastructures

Over the past 10 years, approximately 22 million tons of products have

been handled annually. More than 90% of this traffic consists of bulk

materials and all development forecasts favour this type of operation.


The arrival of new industries to the region depends on the availability of

space and equipment for the transhipment of bulk materials produced for

export.

Contrary to many other North American ports, Sept-Îles has the necessary

available space to adequately meet the needs of present and future clients

and functions in an industrial environment that is free from urban zoning

conflicts.

Because of more restrictive environmental regulations, especially

regarding the use of coal, the American Mid-West must import a higher

quality coal that is lower in sulphur content. Navigation conditions on the

St Lawrence coupled with transportation costs make Sept-Îles the ideal

location for the transhipment of imported and exported bulk products.

In order to meet present and future needs, the Port of Sept-Îles must

consolidate its urban terminal operations and pursue development

activities at the Pointe-Noire Terminal.

Studies have shown that if economical diversification is to succeed, a link

must exist with the North American Railway system. This was made

possible in 1992 with the arrival of the Railcar Ferry Terminal at Pointe-

Noire. Furthermore, the arrival of new industries, the use of the bulk

terminal for cargo transfers, and a link to the industrial sector at Port

Cartier have all been key factors in the optimisation of services.

The Port of Sept-Îles’ development strategy consists of

consolidating its Urban Sector operations, in offering a variety of

efficient services and in completing the Pointe-Noire development

project that will accommodate major industries and the bulk material

companies that transport to and from the interior of the continent.


4.2 Orientation by Sector

The Port of Sept-Îles’ installations are situated in two sectors: the Urban

Sector that is located at the north end of the bay of Sept-Îles and the

Pointe-Noire Sector located on the south end, near the Marconi

peninsula.

In the Urban Sector, the Port is comprised of private installations

belonging to the Iron Ore Company of Canada and various other public

installations under the jurisdiction of fishers, Fisheries and Oceans

Canada and the Port of Sept-Îles:

the tug basin (Station 1, Iron Ore Company of Canada),

Dock #2 (Iron Ore Company of Canada),

Dock #4 (Iron Ore Company of Canada), Dock #5 (Iron Ore

Company of Canada),

the Pointe-aux-basques Dock (Station 7),

the Petroleum Dock (Station 8),

the mooring jetty SIMEC (Station 9),

the Arcand Dock (Station 11, winter dry dock),

the Mgr Blanche Dock (Stations 14 & 15),

the Fishermen’s Wharf (Station 16),

the boat ramp (City of Sept-Îles),

the Naval Reserve, the Sept-Îles Marina (Station 17),

the Old Dock (Statiuon 20, MPO).

The Pointe-Noire Sector includes:

the Wabush Mines Dock (Stations 30 and 31),

the La Relance Dock (Station 40),

the Railcar Ferry Terminal (Station 41).


All terminals located in this sector are the property of the Port of Sept-Îles.

Photo Sylvie Guignard, Sept-Îles Tourist Corporation

4.2.1 Urban Sector

The Urban Sector is comprised of the oldest operating installations of

the Port of Sept-Îles. It consists of a combination of various

commercial and industrial businesses ranging from fishing to tourism

and recreation. Intertwined with urban infrastructures, there is very

little possibility for industrial development. Nevertheless, the recent

dismantling of the Ultramar petroleum park has allowed for the

allocation of these spaces to various commercial and industrial

interests.

A few projects should be forthcoming in this sector, in co-operation

with the City of Sept-Îles. They are aimed at completing the extension

of the urban park up to the Mgr Blanche Dock and finalising the

landscaping around the boat launch. These projects will improve the

integration of port activities with tourism and as a result will improve


the quality of life for the community. Finally, it is intended to revitalise

commercial activity in the oldest section of the city.

Maps of the Urban Sector, found in the Appendices, illustrate very

well the installations and the properties belonging to the Port of Sept-

Îles. The empty lots in the sector are reserved for services associated

with maritime activities, either commercial fishing or businesses linked

to tourism or leisure.

For terminals under the Port’s responsibility, the completion of the

following projects will greatly improve services offered in this sector:

The Mgr Blanche Dock

Projects undertaken since 1995 will be complete when all installations

are in place to receive cruise ships. Situated in the heart of the urban

setting, activities at the Mgr Blanche dock will be oriented more and

more towards tourism and serving the needs of the Lower North

Shore. Considering that Sept-Îles is situated along the route taken by

cruise ships and that there is great interest in the native communities

as well as in the vast territories that surround the area, the region

offers many attractions that are greatly sought after by American and

European tourists.

The Petroleum Dock

Mainly used to supply petroleum products, this dock can also be used

to transfer liquid bulk shipments. The installation of some new

equipment and modifications will enable the diversification of its

activities allowing for the reception of a greater variety of bulk liquids.


The Pointe-aux-Basques Dock

At present, this dock is used for general merchandise and bulk

products on a small scale. This area will be developed by renovating

the old Ultramar site and using it for the storage and handling of raw

bulk materials such as silica. This material, which looks like a rock,

contains very few fine particles and does not produce

atmospheric emissions. Besides, it is already handled through a

temporary site at Pointe-aux-Basques dock (station 7) and does

not cause any problems. Certain sites will also be reserved for

companies that service port clients. Environment protection

equipment will be installed to ensure conformity to norms and the

protection of residents and a screen will be planted to limit and reduce

noise levels. This screen will consist of trees planted on backfill

to hide material piles and handling activities. Moreover, the

ground level of the storage area will be lower than the street

level in order to diminish the perception of stored material and

activity noise. In designing the wall of trees, the Port will take the

residents’ view on the Bay of Sept-Îles into account.*

*In bold – Addendum, September 4, 2000

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/anglais-francais/collaborative/507942/warehoused

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/anglais-francais/collaborative/507942/warehoused


Consolidation activities at the Port of Sept-Îles are ongoing with

modifications to the Mgr Blanche dock to make room for greater

storage space of bulk materials. When the final touches have been

made including the landscaping activities at the Urban Park, the

Pointe-aux-Basques project will be complete.


4.2.2 Pointe-Noire Sector

Activities at the Pointe-Noire Sector are oriented towards heavy

industry. The projects intended for this sector reflect the heart of the

Port’s mission, that is to improve the transportation of merchandise

and people through the installation of adequate facilities.

On the short term, projects will concentrate on the transhipment of

bulk merchandise. The addition of handling installations that will allow

for the simultaneous loading and unloading of materials from several

ships will mark an increase in efficiency. New bulk storage facilities

between the Wabush Dock and the La Relance Dock will complete

the port complex and increase both the volume and variety of

products managed by the Port. These newly planned infrastructures

will also have a positive effect on the environment in terms of dust

control and water drainage management.

The addition of businesses and an increase in volume of merchandise

handled justify the implementation of a regular scheduled railcar link.

This liaison with North American markets will not only meet the needs

of clients but will provide an additional opportunity in the

diversification process of the region’s economy.

In an industrial zone that is free of urban constraints, this sector is one

of the most sought after sites on the North American East Coast for

the development of industrial and maritime activities.

The installation of efficient transhipment, storage and handling

facilities is the principal attraction for the implementation of new

industrial projects. Reception and service infrastructures are also part

of the process and will add to the competitive advantage of this super

Port.


Part of the Port’s planning process involves considering the impacts

on our natural surroundings and undertaking all the required

environmental studies.

In addition, a compensation program has been put into place with the

various parties involved and concerned government agencies to

ensure minimum destruction of natural habitat caused by the project.

With the Pointe-Noire bulk terminal project, the Port will be able to

increase its bulk handling activities and reduce related dust

emission levels. The project also includes compensation for any

loss of production existing installations might experience due to this

project.


APPENDIX 1

Article 48.

(1) A port authority shall, within 12 months after the issuance of its letters

patent, develop a detailed land-use plan that contains objectives and

policies for the physical development of the real property and

immovables that it manages, holds or occupies and that takes into

account relevant social, economic and environmental matters and

zoning by-laws that apply to neighbouring lands.

(2) The land-use plan may:

a) prohibit the use of some or all of the real property and immovables

for, or except for, certain purposes;

b) prohibit the erecting of structures or works or certain types of

structures or works; and

c) subject to any regulations made under section 62, regulate the type

of structures or works that may be erected.

(3) A land-use plan shall not have the effect of preventing:

a) the use of any real property or immovable existing on the day on

which the land-use plan comes into force for the purpose for which

it was used on that day, so long as it continues to be used for that

purpose; or

b) the erecting or alteration of a structure or work that was authorised

before the day on which the land-use plan comes into force if the


erecting or alteration is carried out in accordance with the

authorization.

(4) A port authority shall, at least sixty days before the coming into force of

a land-use plan, have notice of the plan published in a major

newspaper published or distributed in the place where the port is

situated.

(5) The notice shall include information as to where a copy of the plan,

including any related documents necessary to understand it, may be

obtained and an invitation to any interested person to make

representations to the port authority with respect to the proposed plan

within those sixty days and to attend a public meeting at a specified

time and place.

(6) After the port authority considers any representations made by

interested persons with respect to a proposed plan, it may adopt the

plan.

(7) The port authority shall have notice of each land-use plan that it

adopts, together with notice of the place at which a copy of the plan

may be obtained, published in a major newspaper published or

distributed in the place where the port is situated.

(8) A port authority need not comply with subsections (4) to (7) in respect

of a proposed land-use plan that:

a) has previously been published pursuant to subsection (4), whether

or not it has been changed as a result of representations made

pursuant to subsection (5); or


b) makes no substantive change to an existing plan.

(9) Land-use plans are not regulations within the meaning of the Statutory

Instruments Act.

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